muffler or catback?

**beer** · 01-06-2008, 08:42 PM

so i wanna get my girl sounding good, and i kinda wanted to save up for a catback system, but my buddies have been tellin me just to get a muffler, i dont know what to do?????

**180ls1** · 01-06-2008, 08:59 PM

i have the same type of question i have been looking at trying to get true duals or any type of upgraded exhaust. It seems like a muffler would do the same in performance as a catback because it necks down at the y pipe anyways to 2 3/4 or so so i do not see the advantage of getting a 3" catback it it is necked down before to 2 3/4 that to before it enters the i pipe, i would think a muffler would do the same as a catback. Any comments?

**firemedic0135** · 01-06-2008, 09:07 PM

I just chopped my muffler off and welded in some pipe in its place and it had a great sound.
If I were gonna put a muffler on I would chop the muffler out of the back and throw a small 1 chamber muffler on the itermediate pipe before the axle and replace the muffler with some pipe to finish out the duals in the rear exit.
Just my $.02

**jimmybling31** · 01-06-2008, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by firemedic0135

I just chopped my muffler off and welded in some pipe in its place and it had a great sound.
If I were gonna put a muffler on I would chop the muffler out of the back and throw a small 1 chamber muffler on the itermediate pipe before the axle and replace the muffler with some pipe to finish out the duals in the rear exit.
Just my $.02

that sounds like a good idea. hmm. maybe i should redo my exhaust with the pipe welded in....I think that would make my lt1 sound a little meaner than a "free flowing" magnaflow like what i have

**96Firebirdformula** · 01-07-2008, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by jimmybling31

that sounds like a good idea. hmm. maybe i should redo my exhaust with the pipe welded in....I think that would make my lt1 sound a little meaner than a "free flowing" magnaflow like what i have

hope its not DD that would get annoying

**firemedic0135** · 01-07-2008, 08:16 AM

What would get annoying?

**96Firebirdformula** · 01-07-2008, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by firemedic0135

What would get annoying?

Taking your muffler and weld a pipe in place that would be so annoying as daily driver car

**firemedic0135** · 01-07-2008, 08:27 AM

Mine is a daily driver and it doesnt seem annoying to me at all. It sounds great.
Have you run straight pipe?Not quite as loud as you would think.

**180ls1** · 01-07-2008, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by 96Firebirdformula

Taking your muffler and weld a pipe in place that would be so annoying as daily driver car

that would be the purpose of getting a cutout. But back to the question would a catback give more power then just a muffler?

**GULLETT17** · 01-07-2008, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by 180ls1

that would be the purpose of getting a cutout. But back to the question would a catback give more power then just a muffler?

yes if the catback you get has larger piping than stock

**96Firebirdformula** · 01-07-2008, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by 180ls1

that would be the purpose of getting a cutout. But back to the question would a catback give more power then just a muffler?

cutout makes your exhaust louder good for when wanna be loud then when you don't

and most catbacks are 3" isnt much bigger then stock think stock is 2.5" piping

**Mike's TA** · 01-07-2008, 09:32 AM

Save your money and get the cat back.

As per running without a muffler. I cut mine off and ran a week before putting a new one on and it sounded awesome. I will get full exhaust eventually (headers back), just gotta save the money.

**180ls1** · 01-07-2008, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by GULLETT17

yes if the catback you get has larger piping than stock

i know but if it is 3" cat back it is still necked down to less then 3" at the end of the factory y pipe so i do not see the advantage of getting a 3" catback if it is smaller then 3" before that. Or am i wrong?

**180ls1** · 01-07-2008, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by GULLETT17

yes if the catback you get has larger piping than stock

i know but if it is 3" cat back it is still necked down to less then 3" at the end of the factory y pipe so i do not see the advantage of getting a 3" catback if it is smaller then 3" before that. Or am i wrong? look at the picture below and see where it is necked down and then expanded to 3"

http://www.vincihiperformance.com/vi...a93023.5-2.JPG

**96Firebirdformula** · 01-07-2008, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by 180ls1

i know but if it is 3" cat back it is still necked down to less then 3" at the end of the factory y pipe so i do not see the advantage of getting a 3" catback if it is smaller then 3" before that. Or am i wrong? look at the picture below and see where it is necked down and then expanded to 3"

http://www.vincihiperformance.com/vi...a93023.5-2.JPG

yeah it helps but not by much why you need headers+y pipe the stock manifolds are so restricted
but in socal you can't run longtubes

**GULLETT17** · 01-07-2008, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by 180ls1

i know but if it is 3" cat back it is still necked down to less then 3" at the end of the factory y pipe so i do not see the advantage of getting a 3" catback if it is smaller then 3" before that. Or am i wrong? look at the picture below and see where it is necked down and then expanded to 3"

http://www.vincihiperformance.com/vi...a93023.5-2.JPG

yes for sure . . the factory y does hurt it definately but my magnaflow isn't necked down that much what brand is that catback?

also if headers and y are in the planned modding future. . might as well get the catback so the 2 can work together in the future. hate to have headers with stock exhaust restricting it

**180ls1** · 01-07-2008, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by GULLETT17

yes for sure . . the factory y does hurt it definately but my magnaflow isn't necked down that much what brand is that catback?

also if headers and y are in the planned modding future. . might as well get the catback so the 2 can work together in the future. hate to have headers with stock exhaust restricting it

its the stainless works 3" catback. Does your magnaflow still fit in the inside of the y pipe or does it bolt around the end of the y pipe?

**LT1 > LS1** · 01-07-2008, 12:49 PM

no get the cat back. you have to re weld so much piping for the muffler change. just save time, and get the catack. you will want the additional flow when you want to start makin more power. i was thinkin the same thing, but then realized, the catback is way better.

**GULLETT17** · 01-07-2008, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by 180ls1

its the stainless works 3" catback. Does your magnaflow still fit in the inside of the y pipe or does it bolt around the end of the y pipe?

bolts around the outside . . . thats probably what is is. thats dumb for them to have it go inside the y. by the direction the exhaust is flowing, to me, its common sense for it to go around the outside

**180ls1** · 01-07-2008, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by GULLETT17

bolts around the outside . . . thats probably what is is. thats dumb for them to have it go inside the y. by the direction the exhaust is flowing, to me, its common sense for it to go around the outside

i sure hope so but you knever know sometimes things are not designed the best. Any idea how much power the catback will give you over just the muffler on like a magnaflow setup?